Cigarette container



April 11, 1933. B. GOODMAN CIGARETTE CONTAINER Filed sept. 2, 1931 ZI ealie. Good/Iam BY /w-ow//A-j D 20 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 11, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE LESLIE BEN GOODMAN, OF IEOR'I` ARTHUR, TEXAS CIGARETTE CONTAINER Appncation mea september 2, 1931. serial No. 560,835;

This invention relates to aA cigarettecontainer. p An obj ect of my invention is the construe` tion of a simple and eiiicient cigarette coni' 5 tainer that will be easily manually Operated or discharging a single cigarette into the hand of the o erator. Another object of my invention is the provision of separator means operated directly 'd10 by the door of the container for permitting l' 20 ments of parts as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated inv the accompanying drawing, and more particularly pointed-out in the appended claims.

' In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a motor vehicle showing the preferred embodimentof my invention attached thereto. Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View .30 taken on line 2 2, Figure l and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation of the cigarette container, showing the primary bracket broken away. T

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4, Figure 3, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of another Y embodiment of my invention, while Figure 6 is another embodiment of the casing.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, 1

designates the instrument board of a motor -tio'n of brackets'10 and door L5 is hlngedly vehicle, to which the preferred embodiment of my invention can be easily secured.

The preferred embodiment of my invention comprises a casing 2 which includes the front 3 and the back 4. The casing 2 is preferably hopper-like in shape (Fig. 2), so as to readily feed the cigarettes downwardly towards the discharge lower end, which is closed by door 5. A suitably hinged cover 6 closes the upper or inlet end of the casing 2.

A primary bracket 7 is fastened to the back V 4. This bracket 7 is provided with a horizontal bolt v8, which is furnished with lock nuts 9, whereby the bolt can be lprevented from accidentally rotating. The'container is ing the bracket 7 up on the board, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then the operator can reach his hand under the instrument board and tighten the bolt for clamping the instrulplacedjuponv the instrument board 1'by shovment board, whereby the container is held nicely p'ositionedmonlthe instrument board, -convenient to the driver oi the motor vehicle. Y Extending. rearwardly from the back 4 and at the'bottomthereof, is a pair of parallel auxiliary brackets 10. Each bracket 10'.

isV formed of a section 11 extending rear wardly from the side of the container and also from a section 12 extending outwardly from the back of the container (Fig. 3)', producing the bracket. l/Vhen the container is on the instrument board (Fig. 1), the upper edges of the brackets will bear against the lower edge of the instrument board, whereby lthe container is kept in an upright position,

since if this novel structure was not involved,

it might pivot around at the point engaged by the inner end of the bolt 8. Therefore, it Y will be seen that I have provided a fastening means for securing` a container to a support and with means for preventing thecontainer from moving out of position upon the support. The horizontal portion 11 (Fig. 2) of the primary bracket 7` has its top face in horizontal alignment with the top edges of the brackets 10, assisting in holding the container in an upright position, but itrequires the top edges of the brackets' 10 to produce an entirely satisfactoryresult.

A rod 12 extends Vthrough the Vlower pormounted on this rod, by having portions 13 rolled (Fig. 3) around the rod. This'door 5 is preferably provided with two rearwardly and upwardly extending fingers 14, which register with a similar number* of slots 15 formed in the back 4. Resilient spring separators 16 are provided. Each separator comprises a flat spring bowed or U-shape at its outer end; this outer end engages the back of a finger 14. The inner end of each separator is soldered or otherwise suitably fastened to the back 4. Each separator works in one of the elongated slots 15. A

' coil spring 17 (Fig. 3) is on rod 12 with one end 18 bearing against the back of the casing and the other end 19 bearing againstrthe inner face of one of the fingers 414, so asto eX- ert a positive closing action on the door when vmanual pressure is removed from the integral 'lever 20; this lever 20y extends from the right end of the door. Y

VA'piece of cloth 21 is fastened in the casing (Fig..4) near the discharge end thereof; this cloth or cloth flap is suitably treated, or moistened, for preserving the flavor of the-cigarettes. This cloth also acts as a cushioning pad for the separators when pressing against-the cigarettes in the casing.

In Figure 5, I have shown a casing 1a provided with a front opening 22, which is closed bysuitable means such as glass or isinglass.

` Of course, the casing `can be made in many shapes, such for instance, as shown in Figure 6, but my preferred form is .shown in Figures 1 to 4.

In operation,the casing is loaded from the top and the cigarettes are fedsingularly through the lower end in the following manner. There is always a cigarette atthe Vlower end as indicated by A (Fig. 2),

dotted lines, and as the operator presses downwardly upon the lever or grip 20, fingers 14 will force the separators through slots 15 into the'casing against the cigarettes, above the cigarette A, Vcrowding them back slightly and holding them from being discharged while the door is openedf Then when the door is released by the operator,

spring 17 will quickly close it, while the bowed lower ends of the separators are moving back through the slots 15 to their normal "position outside of the casing 4. I have found from actual experience with a full size working device that the operation is as stated, and works perfectly for singly delivering the cigarettes into the operators hand. The dotted lines in Figs. 2 and-4 illustrate the operation of the spring separators as just described,

creasing the pressure on the door for automatically closing the same when the operator releases the lever or grip 20.

While'I have described the preferred embodiments of my invention and illustrated the same in the accompanying drawing, certain minor4 changes or alterationsl may appear to one skilled in the art to which this invention relates, during the extensivemanu- AfactureV of the same, and I, therefore, reserve the' right to make such changes or alterations as shall fairly fall within the scope of thev appended claims.,

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing provided in its back with a plurality of longitudinally extending elongated slots, flat spring separators fastened at their innerends tothe back of said casing and having their outer ends bowed in said elongated slots, a hinged door on said casing and vprovided withrearwardly and upwardly extending fingers corresponding in number to said fiat spring separators, and said fingers engaging the bowed ends of said spring separators, substantially as shown and described. v A,

, 2. In awdevice of the class described, the combination of a casing, a pluralityof separators moving in and out ofl said casing, a

cushioning unit in said casing over lall of said separators for delivering a uniformpressure throughout the length of a cigarette when said separators move into said casing, and

a movable door on saidl casing and provided with means for operating said separators when said door is moving to an open position. y

3. In a device of the 'class describedLthe combination of a casing, a plurality of spring i separators carried by said casing and adapted to be forced by a door opening into said casing, a cloth constituting a flap attached to the. wall of said casing and depending across the path of movement of saidspring separators, and a door provided with means acting on said spring separators for operating the same when said door is movedto an open position. rv In testimony whereof I hereunto affixmy signature.V LESLIE BEN GOODMAN. 

